I own nothing related to Twilight. This future take is my little Christmas present to you:) Hope you enjoy.

"Hey, sexy." Christ, I loved hearing that. As tired as I was, hearing Bella's sweet voice made my cock sit up and take notice.

"Hi, baby. You didn't have to wait up." I'd stayed late at the library, doing some research. Tomorrow was Saturday, and I wanted to spend it with Bella.

She stood, and now my cock was definitely taking notice. She'd been snuggled under the fleece blanket we kept on the couch, and now I saw that she was wearing an old t-shirt of mine, so threadbare in places that I could practically see her skin through it. It was chilly in our apartment, and her nipples poked through, begging me to wrap my lips around them.

"It's freezing in here, Bella. Come on, come to bed." I wrapped my arm around her waist and kissed her, leading her into our bedroom.

She leaned in and her warm breath made the hairs on my neck stand up. "You gonna warm me up, sexy?"

Christ. Was I ever.

We'd been living together since the summer before Bella's junior year. She'd be graduating this year, then continuing on to get her Master's. I was right in the middle of my graduate work, with two to three years still ahead of me. I was working as a TA for one of my professors; Bella had a part-time job at the library. We were both busy, stressed, and stretched too thin, but coming home to one another at the end of the day made it bearable.

Jasper had gotten an apartment with Alice two years ago, which led to Bella moving in with me. My parents were thrilled; Charlie wasn't. Bella wasn't a little girl any more, though, and he knew I loved his daughter and treated her right, so he grudgingly accepted it. Life was good, albeit a bit crazy, and I knew that Bella was the woman I'd spend the rest of my life with. Watching her transform from the somewhat shy, inexperienced eighteen-year-old I'd fallen for into the sexy, self-confident woman she was today only made me appreciate and love her more.

Remembering the early days of our relationship, when I initiated almost all of our sexual encounters and Bella would blush at a whispered dirty word or suggestion of a new position, made me smile as I watched Bella stalk towards me, stopping when our chests were nearly touching. She ran her hands up under my t-shirt, running her thumbs over my nipples and making my eyes close in pleasure. My heart was thumping in anticipation and my cock was stiff and pressed uncomfortably against my fly.

"Mm, you like that?" Bella ran her fingers lightly over my nipples, giving them a sharp pinch that made me curse under my breath. She laughed, and dragged her index finger down my stomach, dipping just inside the waistband of my jeans. "I bet you'd like this more."

She cupped my hard cock over the denim, making me hiss and buck my hips. "Don't tease, Bella," I warned, wanting to get rid of my clothes and feel her warm hand on me.

"Who's teasing?" She popped the first button, and it seemed like she was moving in slow motion. I wanted her to rip open my fly and take me in her hand, but she seemed intent on torturing me tonight. I reached down and popped the second button myself, and she slapped my hand away. "You're impatient. Don't you know that good things come to those who wait?"

I grunted in displeasure. "The only thing that's going to be coming is me in my pants, if you don't hurry up and get them off. And that's not a good thing."

With a small smile she sat on the edge of the bed, pulling me to stand in front of her. "Well, Mr. Impatient, you seem a little on edge tonight. Let me help you relax a little." With a yank, the rest of the buttons were undone, and she pushed my jeans down my legs.

"I see you've made things easy for me." She raised her eyebrows at my lack of underwear, then leaned forward and pressed her lips to my tip. I moaned, gripping her shoulders as she licked me, looking up into my eyes and grinning before taking me all the way in. Gone was the uncertain girl who'd asked me to show her what I liked. Bella knew what I liked, knew exactly what to do to make me come so hard I'd see stars, and she did just that, taking me as deep as she could when my release finally raced through me.

I stepped out of my jeans and pulled my shirt over my head, then climbed up on the bed next to Bella. "Why are you still dressed?" I grumbled as I removed her t-shirt and tiny panties.

Flopping onto my back, I gestured her closer, and when she'd crawled up next to me I patted my shoulders. "Up here. I want you to ride my face."

Ah, there were few things that still made Bella blush, but this was one of them. I loved going down on her, but having her straddle my face was a whole different level of hot. I loved her taste, her smell, and the feeling of her smooth thighs on my cheeks. I loved looking up and seeing her writhing above me, her eyes closed and mouth open, her beautiful tits jiggling as she moved. She'd been a bit reticent the first few times we'd done it, but not anymore. She ground herself against my mouth until she cried out, trembling with her orgasm.

I pulled her down on top of me and kissed her deeply, her moans making me harden again. "I fucking love that I can still make you blush."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. You give yourself too much credit. That was from, um, exertion."

Maybe so, but I knew a sure way to make her turn beet red. I licked a path to her ear. "You like it when I kiss you after we do that? You like to taste your pussy on my tongue, hmm?"

She ducked her head down against my chest. Laughing, I laid her out on her back and kissed her all over, from her belly button to her still-red face. Soon she was bucking her hips up, her nails digging into my shoulders. We made love, and fell asleep wrapped around one another.

I knew Bella was the only woman I wanted. Coming home to her each night made me forget whatever petty aggravations had taken place during the day. But, it hadn't always been so easy.

When Bella was living in the dorms, there were sometimes stretches when we didn't see each other very often, no matter that we were only separated by a few blocks. Bella would get moody and let her insecurities get the better of her, and I'd have to reassure her that I really did want to be with her, but sometimes it just wasn't possible.

Of course, I had my not-so-proud moments, too. I'd gone over to Bella's dorm to surprise her once, and walked in on her and a guy I'd seen her talking with on campus. It was completely innocent; they were just working on a project together. But me being the jealous ass that I was, all I could see was Bella in the dim light of the family room, in another guy's arms. I stormed out, Bella was hurt and embarrassed, and I ended up going back later that night with takeout from Bella's favorite Thai place and a grovelling apology on my lips.

Once Bella moved in, everything seemed to click into place. Of course, we had minor disagreements. Bella was far neater than I was. She needed complete darkness to sleep, while I could sleep with the blinds open and the light on. She liked it quiet when she was doing her school work; I was used to having music on while I worked. All relationships involve compromise, and ours was no different. We made it work, and it seemed as natural as breathing. Cooking together, curling up on the couch to watch a movie, holding hands as we walked to the bedroom at the end of the night—all of these things helped me to envision a future with Bella, a future where she wore my ring and there were children running around with Bella's big brown eyes and my reddish hair. That was new to me, and the surprising thing was it didn't scare the hell out of me. It made me smile. It gave me something to look forward to, to plan for.

I woke with a start, feeling something tickling my thigh. Looking down, I saw Bella smiling up at me from between my legs, her long hair fanned out over my legs. I sank back into the pillows, preparing to enjoy Bella's attentions, only to be interrupted by her phone buzzing on the nightstand.

She hesitated, her eyes darting between my very hard cock and her phone, still buzzing away.

I sighed. "Why don't you see who it is?"

She scrambled to pick up the phone, frowning when she saw the number on the screen. "Hi, Mrs. Cope."

I groaned, covering my face with my hands. Mrs. Cope was Bella's supervisor at the library. The fact that she was calling at eight o'clock on a Saturday morning was not good.

I watched Bella nod and smile at me apologetically. "Okay, I'll see you soon. Sure, no problem."

She scooted up so we were face to face. "I'm so sorry, babe. I have to go in today—Angela has the flu, and they were short-staffed even before she called in. It's only until two o'clock, though. You can amuse yourself until then, right?"

"I'm going to go amuse myself in the shower right now." I started to sit up, but Bella pushed me back down.

"I can help you out with that. It's only fair." She winked and made her way back down my body.

I combed my fingers through her hair. "Bella, you don't have to..." She wrapped her lips around me, and I stopped protesting and enjoyed the short time we had before she had to leave.

"So Bella gets called in to work, and you call me. I see how it is." Jasper smirked as we walked through Pike Place Market. He was looking for a jewelry vendor Alice had seen and fallen in love with. I figured it couldn't hurt to look around, maybe pick up a few last minute Christmas gifts.

"Yeah, yeah. My sister keeps you pretty busy, too. I don't see you calling me for a guys' night out."

Jasper laughed. "No shit. I'm not complaining, though." He glanced at me. "You?"

"No complaints here. Bella's got me wrapped around her little finger, and she knows it." I sighed, the feelings I'd been having over the last few weeks bubbling up and needing to be expressed. "Sometimes it just seems like such a long time until we'll be able to really start our life together, you know? I feel like I'm gonna be in school forever, and what I really want to do is buy her a ring, marry her, buy a house..." Being with Jasper really brought out the whiny bitch in me.

He considered what I'd said. "Yeah, but in order to do all that, you need to get your degree first. Bella, too. She'll probably want to get established in her career before she starts popping out your babies, Edward."

I was horrified. "No, no … I don't mean it like that. Christ, I just … I love her so much. I want to give her everything. I want her to have a career, whatever she wants. I don't know. I'm just impatient, I guess. I know we have a long way to go before any of that stuff can happen."

He smiled and clapped me on the back. "I get it. You're twenty-five, Bella's twenty-two. You've got plenty of time for all of that. You're not waiting to start a life together; you already have a life together. Enjoy it, don't rush things. Don't freak her out with your intense bullshit, man."

I smirked at him, shaking my head. "When did you get to be so fucking smart, huh? I know what you mean. It felt good to get it out, you know? Thanks for listening. And for imparting your relationship wisdom."

He rolled his eyes. "You're welcome, jackass. And for your information, everything I know I learned from your sister."

We laughed, talking and trading insults as we navigated the stalls, searching for that one jewelry vendor.

Jasper turned abruptly, looking far too pleased with himself. "You know, there is something you could do, since you're so eager to mark Bella as yours."

I waited, not sure if he was being a smart-ass and was going to suggest peeing on her leg or if he had an actual intelligent suggestion.

"Why don't you buy her a ring? It says 'commitment' more than any other piece of jewelry, and you could tell her how you feel, kind of like you did with me, but less whiny. Tell her your feelings, Edward. Girls love that shit.ˮ

It wasn't a bad idea in theory, but... "I don't have money for a ring, Jas. My parents already pay my tuition and part of my rent, I can't ask to borrow money to buy an engagement ring, too. And that would be kind of a long engagement, anyway."

"Not an engagement ring, exactly, more of a … pre-engagement ring. An 'I love you and even though it's too soon to get married, I want you to know my intentions' ring. It doesn't have to be a diamond. There are some really talented craftspeople here. You could have something made up, with her birthstone or whatever."

Now that wasn't a bad idea. I could probably swing that. I looked at the jewelry stalls with new interest, looking for something that caught my eye. We'd seen just about every jewelry vendor when Jasper called, "I think I found it!"

I wandered over to the stall and said hello to the tall, beautiful Native American woman standing at the counter. She introduced herself as Leah Clearwater, and explained that she was a member of the Quileute tribe. She designed and made all the jewelry herself. Each piece was representative of the natural beauty of the tribal lands she'd grown up on, and she used precious and semi-precious stones to capture the colors and patterns in the forests, cliffs and beaches.

Jasper found the necklace that Alice had fallen in love with, and bought it for her for Christmas. It was beautiful, a thin silver chain with a chalcedony pendant. Leah asked if I was looking for something specific, and I tried to articulate what I wanted. She smiled as I fumbled through my explanation.

"So, she's the one, and you want to give her a symbol of your love. A ring. Do you know her birthstone?"

I stared blankly—I had no idea. "Her birthday is in September."

"Okay, then it's sapphire. And your birthday?"

"June twentieth."

"Well, you've got a couple of choices. Pearl, alexandrite, or moonstone. Personally, I think sapphire and moonstone would be beautiful together." She showed me what the two would look like together, and I agreed.

"So this is what I'm thinking, Edward …" Leah described her idea for the ring, and I loved it. It was perfect, and I hoped like hell Bella would love it, too. She promised to have it ready before Christmas, I left a deposit, and I walked out of there with a big grin on my face, much to Jasper's amusement.

Bella was already home when I got back to the apartment. She looked up with a sweet smile as I closed the door behind me."How was your day?"

I pulled her onto my lap and kissed her soundly before answering. "Jas and I went to Pike Place and looked around a little. Had lunch. That's pretty much it."

"Sorry about today. We can do whatever you want for the rest of it."

"Really?" I wriggled my eyebrows and gave her my dirtiest smile. "Are you sure you want to make that offer?"

She turned and straddled my lap. "I should've known you'd take it that way, perv. My offer stands, but I was hoping you might want to get out of the house for a bit, maybe get dinner somewhere?"

I grabbed her ass with both hands and pulled her against me. "I've been out all day. I was hoping to get inside you, but I suppose I can wait." I slide my hands up her body and into her hair, using it to tilt her head so I could suck on her neck.

She was moaning and whimpering and then, suddenly, she was off my lap and squealing in excitement. "Oh, I know what we can do! Let's go see the light show at the zoo. Please, Edward?"

She knew I wouldn't say no. Why would I? I was crazy in love with this woman. I would do anything to see her beautiful face lit up like it was now. "Sure, baby. I think the zoo closes at nine. Why don't we do that first, then get dinner?"

She Jumped on me, dropping little kisses all over my face. "Thank you. I know this probably isn't high on your list of things to do tonight, but it'll be fun. And I promise—anything you want later." With one last kiss she headed for the bedroom.

"Should we ask Alice and Jas if they want to go?" I knew Bella would have more fun if she could ooh and aah over the displays with Alice.

"Sure! You'll call them?" Bella asked, as she sashayed from the bedroom to the bathroom in only her black bra and panties.

I groaned, willing time to pass quickly tonight. "Yes, dear. I'll call them."

Bella's laughter made me smile in spite of the long night looming ahead of me.

Woodland Park Zoo really was beautiful with all of the holiday light displays. It was hard not to get into the Christmas spirit while walking around the zoo, sipping hot chocolate and listening to carolers. Looking at Alice and Jas, holding hands and so comfortable in their obvious love for one another, I wondered what people thought when they looked at Bella and me. Was our love so evident? I thought it must be. I wanted to shout it out to every person who passed us.

I would never take Bella's love for granted. Remembering how we'd started out, the confusion and miscommunication that had almost ended us before we'd even really begun, was a constant reminder of the importance of honesty and communication in a relationship. I made sure every day that Bella knew how I felt about her. Thinking of the ring, I smiled to myself and squeezed her gloved hand.

She squeezed back. "You ready to go home?"

"If you are." I held her gaze for a beat, then bent to touch my lips to hers. "I love you."

Her expression grew soft. She cupped my cheek, and murmured, "I know you do. I love you, too."

"Okay, lovebirds, we're ready to head out. Are you coming?" Alice and Jasper had walked ahead, giving us a little privacy. We caught up, laughing, and walked to the bus stop together.

We settled on Chinese for dinner, and tried a new restaurant that Alice raved about. Afterwards, when we were saying goodbye, Alice took me aside and whispered, "Are you getting Bella something amazing for Christmas? I'm available if you need assistance."

As always, Alice was looking out for me. She was worried that I might embarrass myself and buy Bella socks or something, even though I hadn't made that mistake yet. "I'm good, Alice. Thanks, though. I think she's really gonna like what I got her. And no, I'm not telling you what it is."

She rolled her eyes, then kissed my cheek. "All right then. Don't say I didn't offer."

We went our separate ways. On the bus home, Bella asked, "What was all that whispering about between you and Alice?"

I shrugged. "She offered her personal shopping services."

"Oh. Well, I like the presents you pick out for me. I mean, you don't have to go crazy or anything. Whatever you choose is special because it's from you. Let Alice shop for Jasper."

I smiled and kissed the top of her head, loving her a little more.

"So, I gave you carte blanche for the rest of the night …" We were finally in our room, getting undressed. Bella's suggestive whisper had me palming my dick, thinking of all the things I wanted to do with her. After today, my conversation with Jasper, buying the ring … I wanted to be all over her at once, touching her everywhere.

"What do you want tonight, hmm?" Bella was kneeling on the bed, wearing only lacy white panties. I threw my boxers off and climbed on the bed, pushing her back and molding our bodies together. She opened her mouth in surprise and my tongue was in it, sweeping over hers. She whimpered, kissing me back with fervor, clutching at my back and shoulders.

Things escalated quickly from there. I yanked her panties down her legs, sliding two fingers into her and groaning when, moments later, she pulsed around them. I dragged myself up her body, kissing and sucking at her skin along the way, and pushed inside her without delay. I felt like I couldn't get deep enough, close enough. We were pressed tightly to one another, and I worked my hips in a grinding motion, not even wanting to leave enough space between us to thrust in and out. I was breathing heavily and trembling when I finally came, buried as deeply as I could get in Bella.

"Hey … are you okay?" Bella stroked the hair back off my forehead. "That was pretty intense."

I lifted my head to meet Bella's eyes. My heart was still pounding, and I felt chilled from the sweat drying on my skin. "I'm fine, baby. I just—I love you. When you asked me what I wanted … I want you, I want everything with you. Sorry if I was too rough."

"If that's what I get when I give you carte blanche, I'll have to give it to you more often. And here I was expecting to be tied up, or blindfolded, or, I don't know, something kinky ..."

Surprised, I smiled at her, my dick stirring at the images Bella's words evoked. "We can do all of that, Bella. Anything you want. Tonight I just wanted to feel close to you."

She snuggled into my chest, not bothered by the fact that I was sweaty and disgusting. Yep, she loved me. "I want everything with you, too."

"Good." I pressed my lips to hers and wrapped my arm around her waist. Sleep came quickly, and I dreamed of a future with Bella.

A few days before Christmas Leah called. As promised, Bella's ring was ready. I went to pick it up one afternoon when Bella was working.

I stood there fidgeting as Leah took the ring out and polished it before setting it on a black velvet cloth. If I was this nervous now, what would I be like when I was actually ready to ask Bella to marry me?

I picked up the ring, turning it over in my hand. It was beautiful. Unique. Perfect. A band of white gold, set with alternating sapphires and moonstones. An eternity ring. Symbolizing forever, with Bella. My skin prickled with the thought of slipping it on her finger.

"If it needs to be sized, bring her in, okay, Edward? Hell, bring her in anyway. I want to meet this girl you're so crazy about." Leah smiled as I tugged on my hair, embarrassed at being so easily read.

"Thank you, Leah. It's incredible. I know she'll love it. We'll definitely be back."

"Merry Christmas, Edward."

"Bella, have you seen my—ˮ

"—blue dress shirt? Yep, here it is. I picked it up from the cleaners, remember?" She laid the plastic-covered shirt on the bed, next to my garment bag. We were going back to Forks for the holidays, and I needed more than t-shirts and jeans for the week that we'd be there.

"Are you all packed? I want to leave early tomorrow, so we don't get stuck in traffic. Let's get everything ready today, so we can relax tonight and have a calm, leisurely drive back to Forks tomorrow." My dad had given me his old Volvo to use at school, and though it was often easier to get around Seattle on the bus, for the long drive home tomorrow it was a godsend.

"Edward." Bella cupped my face in her hands and gave me a serious look. "Please relax. We are packed, the presents are all wrapped and in bags; everything is under control. You're driving me crazy." She looked me over. "Do you need a little help relaxing?" She arched a brow and walked her fingers down the front of my jeans, cupping me.

I swallowed hard, closing my eyes. I grasped her wrist and moved her hand up to rest on my chest. "Come here." I looped my arms around her waist and smiled down at her.

"Sorry, I'm just wound a little tight. You're right—let's take it easy, have some dinner and then I'd love to crawl into bed with you and spend hours helping each other relax." I nipped at her neck, making her whimper.

I was sure my propensity for "intense bullshit," as Jasper had called it, had been driving Bella crazy for the last few days. Not only was I busy finishing some last-minute work on a paper I was writing, but there was shopping to be finished, gifts to be wrapped, packing … and on top of it all, I was stressing about the ring. Granted, it wasn't an engagement ring, not yet, but still, it signaled my intentions just as clearly. Where should I give it to her? When? And most importantly, would she be happy to get it, or feel like I was trying to tie her down too soon?

At this point I knew Bella well enough to know she loved me, and I was pretty sure she wanted to spend the rest of her life with me, as I did with her. But what guy isn't a nervous wreck when it comes to this kind of thing? There was always the possibility, however remote, that we might not be on the same page. I just wanted to get the damn ring on her finger, maybe superglue it on so she could never take it off, and therefore would be stuck with me forever. Christ, I really did need to relax, and stop over-thinking it.

We made a quick dinner of canned soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Bella started to clean up afterwards, but I pulled her into my chest and ran my hand down her hip and around to her ass, squeezing lightly. "I'll take care of it. Wait for me in bed."

She stood on her toes to kiss me. Her eyes were hooded, her cheeks flushed. I pecked her lips. "I'll be right in."

I could see Bella's bare shoulders peeking out above the comforter, and I stripped out of my clothes as quickly as I could. Sliding under the covers, I rubbed up against her soft, warm body, my hands cupping and squeezing her breasts as I laid wet kisses along her neck and shoulder.

"Feeling better?" Her words came out on a sigh.

"I feel fine, beautiful." My fingers traced a path down her stomach, circling around her belly button, touching her everywhere but where she really wanted me. She laid her hand over mine, guiding it down between her legs. "I'll feel even better when I'm buried inside your warm pussy. Christ, you're wet."

She spread her thighs as I rubbed her, little impatient whimpers leaving her mouth. I knelt between her legs, pulling one over my shoulder and the other across my thigh. We both moaned when I entered her, loving the deep penetration this position afforded. Her gasps and cries made me crazy, and I drove into her over and over, thinking of how much I loved her, wanted her to be mine forever, wanted everyone to know it. I thought of her wearing my ring, and with a harsh cry I came, pulsing into her as I held her to me tightly. "Fuck. Fuck, you didn't—ˮ

I dove between her thighs and closed my lips over her clit, licking and sucking as I curled two fingers inside her. I moaned at our mingled flavors, working her harder, needing her to come. It didn't take long. She tangled her fingers in my hair, her hips bucking into my mouth as she panted through her orgasm.

"Wow." Bella giggled, her sleepy eyes sweeping over my tired, sweaty body. "That was some stress relief. You should be good and relaxed now."

Actually I felt high, almost manic. I couldn't wait any longer. "I have something for you, baby."

She smiled sweetly. "But it's only the twenty-third. Don't you want to wait?"

I sat up, sweeping my hair back in a nervous gesture. "No, I feel like my life is nothing but waiting sometimes. I can't wait anymore; I want to do this now."

I jumped off the bed and went to my dresser, grasping the little box in my hand. I stood with my back to Bella for a moment, trying to compose myself and figure out what I wanted to say to her. Taking a deep breath, I turned and walked back over to the bed. Her expression was serious now, as she tried to figure out what was going on.

I sat beside her, patting my lap in invitation. She curled up against me, her eyes wide and searching, a small smile on her lips. I kissed her cheek and took the plunge.

"Bella, I love you. So, so much. I love our life together. I feel so lucky to come home to you at night, to share every little mundane, day-to-day thing with you. Sometimes, I wish I could fast-forward to a time when we're done with school and moving on to the next stage in our lives." I held out the box, and Bella's hand shook a little as she accepted it. She took her time peeling away the silver paper, her eyes fixed on the package.

"I want forever with you, Bella. I—I want to marry you someday, make a home with you. I can't give you a diamond right now, but I want you to know my intentions. You're everything to me, now and always." My voice had gotten low and raspy. I watched as Bella took the lid off the box and brought her hand up to her mouth, blinking rapidly. She slid the ring on her finger.

Her eyes were glassy when she finally looked up at me. She laid her hand on my cheek and leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips. "An eternity ring. It's beautiful. I love it. I love you. I don't care about material things. You're all I want, Edward. Home is wherever you are."

I hugged her to me, leaning my forehead against hers. We sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, until Bella wriggled out of my grasp. She stretched out on the bed and patted the space next to her. "Lie down with me."

I did, and Bella pushed on my shoulder, indicating that I should lie on my stomach. She massaged my scalp, working her way down my neck and to my shoulders. I sighed, then groaned as I felt the sharp scratch of her nails on my back. My skin tingled and my bones felt like jelly.

"Good?" she asked, as if she didn't know. I loved it when she scratched my back.

"Mmm..."

"You know, I love the ring—it's perfect. But I never doubted your feelings, or your intentions. Were you … worried about that?"

"Not really. I just wanted you to have something … tangible, I guess. I can't give you all the things I want to, yet, but—ˮ

"Edward." Shit, she sounded a little annoyed. "I'm happy with the way we are right now. I don't care if if takes you twenty years to get your degree, or if you can never afford to buy me a diamond. You know, we could get married tomorrow, if we really wanted to. People do it all the time. But would it change anything? Would we be happier, or better off, or less stressed? Stop thinking that it's not enough, that you're not doing enough or giving me enough. The words you said to me? They meant more than any ring. Keep telling me you love me, and showing me. That's all I need, baby."

She rested her chin on my shoulder. "I love you more than anything in the world. Let's just enjoy each day, okay? Don't stress about the future—we'll get there."

I turned on my back and gathered her up in my arms. "Good thing one of us is so smart, hmm?"

Snuggling into my side, she reached up to whisper in my ear. "When you do propose, though? You might want to put on pants to do it. You're very distracting when you're naked."

I laughed, realizing I hadn't even put my boxers on when I'd gotten up to get the ring.

"Smart and a smart-ass." I held her to me, so grateful she was mine. "Merry Christmas, beautiful."

If I can't have Rob under my tree, reviews are the next best thing:) I'd love it if you'd leave one.

I probably won't be able to get anything else out before Christmas, so to all who celebrate, Merry Christmas:) And a happy, healthy & safe 2014 to you and yours.

I will be working on my WIP, Possibilities, plus I have a few chapters written of another new fic I hope to start posting soon. I also have entries in the Friends to Lovers and Light the Darkness Contests, so check those out & vote-lots of great stories. Remember, both are anonymous:)

Thanks for reading! Hope to see you in the New Year.